By Brian Liskai: (Attica, OH) Just like the temperatures, the UMP Summer Nationals Hell Tour will heat up when they make their 27th event in 31 days at Attica Raceway Park on Friday, July 13. The UMP Late Models and Modifieds will compete on Central Ohio Farmers/Summit Racing Equipment Night, along with the Fremont Fenced 305 Sprints.
The UMP Summer Nationals began racing on June 13, and other than three scheduled days off, they have only missed one race – a cancellation because of the heat on July 1 – as of July 10. The Hell Tour was scheduled to be 28 races over 31 days and at tracks in eight different states. Attica Raceway Park holds the 27th.
The Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals for the UMP Modifeds were added to The Hell Tour last year and as of July 10, had competed in 15 events.
So far for the UMP Late Models tour, as of Tuesday, Brian Shirley leads the Summer Nationals Points. Shirley leads the nationals with five wins. Shannon Babb, who claimed the win at Attica in 2011 for the Hell Tour – his fifth consecutive win in the 2011 nationals after a fantastic battle with Jeep Van Wormer – sits second in the 2012 Summer Nationals points with two wins. Jason Feger, who won the 2010 Attica Summer Nationals event and earned the championship, sits third with three wins along the Hell Tour in 2012. Brandon Sheppard is fourth with a win while Ryan Unzicker is fifth with a win. Other winners (as of July 10) along the Hell Tour are Brian Birkhofer with a pair of victories, Billy Moyer Jr. with three wins; local star Jon Henry with a win; Billy Moyer with two wins; three time Summer Nationals champion Dennis Erb Jr. with a win; Scott Weber with a victory; and Rodney Melvin with a victory.
The Summer Nationals first visited Attica in 2010 with Feger picking up the win that wrapped up the Hell Tour championship. In 2011, Babb made it five Summer Nationals victories in a row with his win at Attica, but it wasn’t easy as he and Van Wormer swapped the lead several times throughout the feature. It was Babb’s eighth victory over 22 days of racing.
For the UMP Modifieds, 2011 marked the first year of their Hell Tour under the sponsorship of Summit Racing Equipment. Their tour in 2011 began June 13, and they have competed in 15 events as of July 10. For the second consecutive year, Mike Harrison enters the final week of the DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals looking to close out a championship.
So far, Ray Bollinger, David Gilpin and Michael Long each have two modified victories during the Hell Tour with Harrison, Matt Mevert, Matt Cooper, Dean Hoffman, Jacob Poel, Brent Mullins, Larry Anderson, David Wietholder and Jeff Curl each scoring a victory. Gilpin leads the national UMP modified point standings.
Last season at Attica, Brian Ruhlman scored the UMP modified victory during “The Hell Tour” stop.
Attica Raceway Park will pay the UMP temporary membership fee for the late models in the top 25 of the track’s weekly points and the highest in the track’s top 25 points will get a provisional starting position in the $5,000-to-win feature event.
Gates will open at Attica at 4 p.m. Friday, July 13, with racing at 7:45 p.m. Tickets are $18 for Adults, $15 for Seniors with teens ages 11-15 just $10 and kids 10 and under free. Pit passes are $30.